E-PROFILE

OBSERVATIONS – E-PROFILE

Objectives

E-PROFILE is part of the EUMETNET Composite Observing System, EUCOS, managing the European networks of radar wind profilers (RWP) and automatic lidars and ceilometers (ALC) for the monitoring of vertical profiles of wind and aerosols including volcanic ash.

E-PROFILE coordinates the measurements of vertical profiles of wind from radar wind profilers (vertically pointing Doppler radars) and weather radars from a network of locations across Europe and provides the data to the end users. The main goal is to improve the overall usability of wind profiler data for operational meteorology and to provide support and expertise to both profiler operators and end users.Due to technical advances of the last years ceilometers (automatic low cost lidars) provide nowadays not only cloud base height but also information on the vertical distribution of aerosols derived from the backscatter profile. To make available this new observation capacity E-PROFILE is developing a framework to produce and exchange profiles of attenuated backscatter profiles. Automatic lidars and ceilometers of stations across Europe are added to the operational network.

"Coordinating the measurements of vertical profiles of wind, aerosols and clouds from radars and lidars."

Data Visualization

Interactive Live Visualisation of Wind, Aerosol and Cloud Observations:

– To operate the network hub for data processing and quality evaluation of wind data from radar windprofilers.

– To further develop the real time monitoring of availability, timeliness, quality.

– To continue the network management of the VAD/VVP winds products from the European weather radar network and liaise with OPERA on network performance and technical issues.

– To analyze the user requirements for backscatter data from automatic lidars and ceilometers.

– To integrate automatic lidars and ceilometers in an operational network according to the business case.

– To create and maintain expertise in radar and lidar remote sensing of vertical profiles of wind and aerosols and to make it available to all EUMETNET members through expert teams.

– To maintain an archive of communicated data and metadata for all systems connected to the network.

– To maintain the data exchange standards (BUFR code tables).

– To liaise with International Programmes.

– To liaise with EUMETFREQ on the protection of frequencies for wind profiler radars.

The organisation

The current phase of the E-PROFILE Programme started on the 1.1.2019 and will last until 31.12.2023. The coordinating member is MeteoSwiss and the programme manager is Alexander Haefele. The network data hub of E-PROFILE is operated by the UK Met Office.